The Netherlands and Canada file a lawsuit against Syria at the UN International Court of Justice. Bashar al-Assadʼs government is accused of torture.
Reuters writes about it.
In a statement, Canada and the Netherlands said "Syria has committed countless violations of international law since at least 2011" and asked the court to take emergency measures to protect those at risk of torture in Syria.
The Netherlands and Canada are seeking to hold President Bashar al-Assadʼs government accountable for gross human rights abuses and torture under the UN Convention against Torture, which Damascus ratified in 2004.
- A civil war has been going on in Syria since 2011. It began as a local civil confrontation, which gradually turned into an uprising against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Over time, it involved not only the main states of the region, but also international organizations, military-political groups, and world powers.
- The main participants in the conflict are regular military formations that support President Bashar Assad, formations of the "moderate" Syrian opposition, Kurdish regionalists, as well as various terrorist groups.
- In 2020, Russia blocked numerous attempts in the UN Security Council to refer the case of human rights violations in Syria to the International Criminal Court.